Alien Breed Launches PS3 and PS Vita Assault Next Week

Alien Breed, our new survival horror game, is due for release on PS3 and PS Vita on February 12th via PlayStation Store for $9.99, with a 20% launch discount available for PlayStation Plus members! Last year we celebrated the 21st anniversary of Alien Breed and brought the title to PlayStation Mobile. With the PS3 and PS Vita version we wanted to introduce more cool features, such as the ability for players to team up on either system via cross-platform play.

There is also ad-hoc and online co-op multiplayer for PS Vita, and local and online co-op multiplayer for PS3. We’ve also got Cross-Platform Continuation Play in the mix too, allowing players to carry on their PS3 save game progress on their PS Vita and vice versa.

Alien Breed is fondly remembered by its fans, especially in the UK where the Special Edition stayed in the “All Formats” charts for over a year. We were really proud of the 2009 version of the game, but a remake of the original game turned out to be a much better fit for the platforms it was appearing on.

The gameplay has held up remarkably well, and with a few new features and tweaks to the control scheme we’ve made the game feel a little friendlier without removing any of the challenge.

The first new feature is the most obvious: the game has had a full HD graphical overhaul, with the original graphics being an optional toggle. Two things that made a direct remake a frustrating experience were that the player could find themselves getting lost easily and could also run out of ammunition and door keys. To remedy this we added a toggle-able map screen and a persistent shop, to allow player to replenish supplies whenever necessary.

This sounds like it’d make the game too easy, but we spent time balancing the levels to retain the challenge and improve the difficulty curve.

Back when the original Alien Breed was released, controllers only featured one set of directional buttons. This remake allows for dual stick control, so the player can walk in one direction and fire in another. This change makes a huge difference to the gameplay, opening up more possibilities for the player to deal with waves of aliens and helping bring the remake up to date.

Succeeding at Alien Breed requires the player to not only kill waves of aliens, but also to manage their resources. Try to spend a little bit of time learning the maps, and be sure to collect everything that you can. When you’re low on keys don’t commit to opening that door until you’ve fully explored the area – there might be another route into the room. Also experiment with the different types of weapons — try to find the one that best suits your style of play, and gives you the strongest attacking option.

Sometimes I’m asked whether players can expect any more retro revivals from Team17. I was personally a huge fan of Team17 games growing up, and I’d love the opportunity to work on some of those old titles. All I can say at the moment is there may be another princely character due to leap onto PS3 and PS Vita at some point in the future.

they’re being advertised on the Playstation website… I’m sure the couple thousands of dollars they get from consumers will help them get over it.. Also, this isn’t an older game… it’s a brand new game that they made. This game looks like it was Greenlit on steam. No thank you.

@Nick930930 – It’s a redone version of an older game with some added features, and there’s nothing wrong with that. What’s wrong with it looking like a Steam Greenlight game? There are a number of small indie games that are well worth your time and money that find an audience that way. That’s no reason to say it should be free.

It’s not just Cross-Play, there are a few more features in there that we really wanted to play with for the console/handheld version as opposed to the mobile one. Such as….

• It takes advantage of the ability to use Cross-Platform Play so PlayStation 3 owners can team up for some good alien slaying co-op with their Vita friends
• There’s Cross-Platform Continuation Play in there. You can upload your saves to the cloud and you can then carry on your progress on your Vita, so you can carry on your carnage on the bus/at work etc
• There’s ad-hoc/local and online co-op multiplayer
• It has an additional level pack. The PlayStation Mobile version introduced 2 new level packs (Convergence and Valiance) which comprise of 4 levels each, whereas the PlayStation 3/Vita version has both of those packs and an entirely new, exclusive pack (Synergy) which adds on another 4 levels.
• It has trophies and leaderboards

Also as the blog entry mentions it’s also a Cross-Buy title and there’s a 20% off discount on launch for PlayStation Plus members. Bargain! :)

I really enjoy the Cross Play features for my Vita so I always welcome more games into the family. Does this game support Cross Buy? I have never played this game but love Team 17 for the Worms games so I might give this a go just based on that fact alone. Supporting Cross Buy will probably push me over the edge, but this does look like it would be fun for my Vita.

Hi, there is Cross Buy :) Also there are a few more features than just Cross Play alone in there that we really wanted to play with for the console/handheld version as opposed to the mobile one. Such as….

• It takes advantage of the ability to use Cross-Platform Play so PlayStation 3 owners can team up for some good alien slaying co-op with their Vita friends
• There’s Cross-Platform Continuation Play in there. You can upload your saves to the cloud and you can then carry on your progress on your Vita, so you can carry on your carnage on the bus/at work etc
• There’s ad-hoc/local and online co-op multiplayer
• It has an additional level pack. The PlayStation Mobile version introduced 2 new level packs (Convergence and Valiance) which comprise of 4 levels each, whereas the PlayStation 3/Vita version has both of those packs and an entirely new, exclusive pack (Synergy) which adds on another 4 levels.
• It has trophies and leaderboards

If you have any way of getting word back to Team17, let them know that there is at least one fan of theirs from the Amiga days that would like a remake of their AlienBreed3D game on a modern shooter engine but with the same atmosphere of the original. It would be a good compliment to Dead Space in the survival-horror/shooter genre.

I’ll see how I feel when the store updates. It’s a great game, just not sure I want to buy it again for some new features that I may not use. Plus, I’m still waiting for a price cut on memory cards… 4GB isn’t enough, but no way am I supporting the pricing they’re at now.

This is excellent news! I have loved every one of Teams 17 games that I played on the Amiga. Thank You for bringing this to PS3. This will be my first purchase next week! I eagerly await your next title that will “leap” onto PS3 in the future. I’m sure the game will be “SUPER”! Maybe we can also see another “PROJECT” from you guys in the future also :-)

If this was coming, I have to wonder why you guys even bothered with the PS Mobile game. I’d like to have this and loved Alien Breed way back to when it was on Amiga, but I can’t justify the price again. For anyone who hasn’t, I whole-heartily recommend this retro blast.

Hi icurafuse, we did a mobile version for those with compatible phones who may not have a PS3 or a PS Vita. (We also released the game on iOS and soon Android etc.)

We wanted to add more features for the console/handheld version. Alien Breed will come with 20% off for PlayStation Plus members and it’s also Cross Buy, so if you buy the PS3 version you get the PS Vita version for free, and vice versa.

We’re glad to hear that you enjoted the game though and would recommend it, thank you :)

This is most super,but there needs to be more original ground breaking games on the PS Vita.Remember your just not trying to reach the North American region.But Japan & other regions where the PS Vita is not relevant at all.